Mizzima: Indian Govt. to review its

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Indian Govt. to review its Order on foreigners
New Delhi, May 29, 2001
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)
The government has decided to review the controversial Foreigners
(Report to Police) Order, 1971, after it faced criticism from the
public. The order, which was initially issued on December 14, 1971 in
the backdrop of the Bangladesh liberation war but never taken off the
statute book, makes it mandatory for all the citizens to inform the
police about the presence of foreign nationals in their homes and on
their premises.
Last Thursday, the Home Ministry's Foreigners Division reiterated the
order by running an advertisement in local newspapers, that says: "every
householder or other person shall report to the officer-in-charge of the
nearest Police Station about the arrival or presence in his household or
in any premises occupied by him or under his control of any foreigner,
if he knows or has reasons to believe that he is a foreigner".
According to the order, any citizen who fails to comply with this order
can face up to five years imprisonment, or fine or both.
A national daily newspaper pointed out last week that the order would
make it mandatory for several VVIPs, including the President, Prime
Minister, finance minister and the national security adviser to report
to the police, as all of whom have foreign passport-holding relatives.
After the outcry from the public, the Home Ministry held a high-level
meeting yesterday to review the law. A spokesman of the home ministry
later told the reporters that the basic purpose of reiterating the order
was one of the means to check illegal migration from across the border.
He said the appropriateness of using the term "foreigners" in the order,
rather than specifying any class of foreigners is being examined and a
clarification will be issued as considered necessary.
On April 25, another national newspaper reported that "secret"
guidelines had been issued by the Foreigners' Division of the Home
Ministry that excluded visitors from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka and China from entering India without the Home Ministry's
clearance.
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<center><b><font color="#0000FF"><font size=+2>Indian Govt. to review its
Order on foreigners</font></font></b></center>
<p><b><font color="#990000"><font size=+1>New Delhi, May 29, 2001</font></font></b>
<br><b><font color="#990000"><font size=+1>Mizzima News Group (<a href="http://www.mizzima.com&quot;>www.mizzima.com</a>)</font></font></b>
<p><font size=+1>The government has decided to review the controversial
Foreigners (Report to Police) Order, 1971, after it faced criticism from
the public. The order, which was initially issued on December 14, 1971
in the backdrop of the Bangladesh liberation war but never taken off the
statute book, makes it mandatory for all the citizens to inform the police
about the presence of foreign nationals in their homes and on their premises.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Last Thursday, the Home Ministry's Foreigners Division
reiterated the order by running an advertisement in local newspapers, that
says: "every householder or other person shall report to the officer-in-charge
of the nearest Police Station about the arrival or presence in his household
or in any premises occupied by him or under his control of any foreigner,
if he knows or has reasons to believe that he is a foreigner".</font>
<p><font size=+1>According to the order, any citizen who fails to comply
with this order can face up to five years imprisonment, or fine or both.</font>
<p><font size=+1>A national daily newspaper pointed out last week that
the order would make it mandatory for several VVIPs, including the President,
Prime Minister, finance minister and the national security adviser to report
to the police, as all of whom have foreign passport-holding relatives.</font>
<p><font size=+1>After the outcry from the public, the Home Ministry held
a high-level meeting yesterday to review the law. A spokesman of the home
ministry later told the reporters that the basic purpose of reiterating
the order was one of the means to check illegal migration from across the
border. He said the appropriateness of using the term "foreigners" in the
order, rather than specifying any class of foreigners is being examined
and a clarification will be issued as considered necessary.</font>
<p><font size=+1>On April 25, another national newspaper reported that
"secret" guidelines had been issued by the Foreigners' Division of the
Home Ministry that excluded visitors from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka and China from entering India without the Home Ministry's clearance.</font>
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